Program-clock



E. E. JACOBS.

PROGRAM CLOCK.

APPLICATION FILED APR.29- 1919.

1,330,944. Patented Feb.17,1920.

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PROGRAM-CLOCK.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Feb. 17, 1920.

Application filed April 29, 1919. Serial No. 293,382.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, EDWIN E. James, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of Ashland, in the county of Ashland and State of Ohio, have invented a new and Improved Program-Clock, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description.

My invention relates to improvements in program clocks, and has for an object to provide a program clock that is particularly adapted for use in colleges and schools where a daily program is carried out every day alike.

Another object is'to provide a clock of this character that is particularly adapted for use in boarding halls where breakfast, dinner and supper calls may be made long and loud.

Another object is to provide mechanism peculiarly adapted for use in department stores where one set of clerks go out at one time, another set at another time, etc.

With these and other objects in view my invention consists in certain novel features of construction, arrangement and combination of parts as will be hereinafter fully described and pointed out in the claims reference being had to the accompanying drawings forming part hereof, in which Figure 1 is a sectional elevation showing part of a clock case and dial broken away to display the operating mechanism, and showing a bell circuit.

Fig. 2 is a horizontal sectional view showing manner of attaching the attachments to the ordinary clock mechanism.

Fig. 3 is an enlarged sectional detail view of the tension and steadying device.

While the inventive idea involved in my invention is susceptible of expression in a variety of forms, I have selected as a practical and effective form thereof, the embodiment disclosed in the drawings which I shall now proceed to describe.

Referring more specifically to the drawing, 10 designates an ordinary clockcase, having a front door 11, and which may be placed on a base support or fastened up on a wall, as the clock mechanism 12 is of the type that is wound from the front,hence the case neednot be disturbed when once put in place on support or wall.

From the front of the clock mechanism the hour hand arbor 13 projects, and on this arbor is supported an aluminum d sk 01' annular plate 14 by means of a collar 15 held to the arbor by a set screw 16, and connected to the rear face or spokes 14 by screws 14'.

The annular plate 14 is mounted between the clock mechanism 12 andthe clock dial 17, the hands 18 and 19 of the clock being disposed between the dial and sight opening or window 20 in the front door of the clock case, this window being of slightly less diameter than the clock dial, so that when door is closed the periphery of the dial is not seen.

The annular plate 14 is of somewhat greater diameter than the dial so that a circular area will extend beyond the periphery of the dial and in this area a circular series of screw threaded shouldered pins 21 are secured to the front face of the plate 14 at intervals corresponding to five minute peri ods of time on the clock dial; these pins are screwed into the outer face of plate 14 with the shoulders abutting against the plate and the pins projecting perpendicular to the face of the plateintermediate the periphery of the'clock dial and the periphery of the p ate. 7

Within one side of the clock case (left hand side) is placed a bracket 22 consisting of spaced arms rigidly. secured to the side wall of the casing at one end and connected at their opposite ends by a pivot pin 23 on which is pivotally and slidably mounted a. trip lever comprising a long arm member 24, a fulcrum member 25 having an inclined slot .26 and a short arm member 27 angularly disposed with respect to the long arm and fulcrum member. The angularly disposed short arm of the lever projects over the .front face of the plate 14 to such'extent as to be in the path of the pins 21 as said plate 14 revolves clockwise, the Dlate revolving with the hour hand arbor 13 to which it is rigidly but adjustably connected.

Adjacent the lower end of the long arm 24 of the lever'is secured one end of'a chain or other flexible means 28 by means of an eye 29, while the opposite end of the chain is likewise secured to the inside of the casing by a similar eye 30'. Upon this chain is slidably supported a weight 31 which may be added to if desired.

Secured to the inside of the casing adjacent the lever is a flexible electric contact arm 32 one end carrying a rest 33 for the long arm24 of the. lever? and the other fastened to the casing at one extremity of a battery bell circuit 3 by a binding screw device 35.

The ringing bell alarm is designated as 36, the circuit continuing into the inside of the casing at its upper part and this termi nal is electrically connected with a spring contact finger 37 which is resiliently in contact with the edge or periphery 0f the plate 14.

By the above construction and arrangement it will be noted that a circuit may be completed through the bell by the plate carrying the pins and lever.

At the opposite side of the device (the right side) is shown a tension device to hold the pin plate or wheel steady and to prevent play and slack, as all ordinary clocks usu ally allow the hour hand post or arbor to move slightly, which, of course, would naturally make the pin plate somewhat loose. This tension device consists of a bifurcated resilient bracket including an end cross bar 38 secured to the casing by a. screw 39 between the resilient fingers 40, which spring toward each other and have attached to their opposing faces at their free ends the pads of felt 41. These fingers 40 which rub against the front and rear faces of the pin plate 14 are so disposed that they leave a free path for the pins 21 and do not obstruct the same. The degree of tension with which these fingers bear against plate 14 is regulated and controlled by a tension bolt 42 screwed through the fingers 40 as plainly seen in Figs. 2 and 3.

In ordinary clocks as before set forth, the practice of allowing the hour hand post to move would let the pin plate become somewhat loose, and if thiswere not rubbed out in the arrangement of pins, levers and circuit here shown, when a pin on the plate 14 engaged the lever the plate would stand until the slack is taken up, thereby ringing the bell too long; this objection is overcome by the specific arrangement and operation of the tension device just set forth.

Furthermore, this arrangement permits the attachment of my pin plate 14 to any ordinary clock.

Again, with my arrangement in winding the clock, the plate 14 is not thrown about as the hour hand is, and as such plate would be if not for the rubbing tension device.

As the plate 14 rotates clockwise, a pin 21 engages the angular arm of the lever; the lever is slid upwardly by virtue of the oblique slot the long arm sliding vertically on the spring actuated contact plate, the weight holding the arm in contact with said plate when the lower end of the slot reaches the pivot pin the lever swings on same and long arm is forced away from the contact plate and the circuit broken and the bell ceases to ring. As soon as the pin 21 passes the angular end of the lever, the weight pulls the long arm of the lever back against the contact plate in which position it remains until the next pin on the plate 14 engages the lever. From this it will be understood that the ringing period depends on the length of the slot and the weight suspended upon the chain.

From the above it will be noted that I provide a simple, cheap and efficient means for rendering an ordinary clock an efficient program clock which will allow for any sort of a program within twelve hours up to five minutes by using a total of one hundred andforty-four pins.

The length of time that the bell rings may be controlled by adding weights to the chain and also by the length of the slot 26 in the fulcrum member or pivot 25; this slot is elongated and inclines upwardly as shown, so that the lever has to be pushed back before the pivot will hold the arm firmly enough to be released at 33.

With this device if the same program is desired but to state at a different time, say a half an hour later, this can be accomplished without moving the pins at all, by simply loosening the collar on the arbor and turning the pin plate 14 forward or backward on the hour hand arbor and then securing it in place by the screw 15. This arrangement makes it possible to carry the same program starting at seven oclock in one term, in a subsequent term starting at seven-thirty oclock.

It will be noted that the parts necessary are few in number, and of cheap material easily installed, so that the device can be put on the market at a low price making available to a large number of users.

Any suitable switch may be placed in the circuit so that the device may be put into or out of commission as desired.

Having thus described my invention, I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent:

1. The herein described improvement in program clocks comprising a clock train including an hour hand arbor, and an electric signal circuit, a disk or plate rigidly mounted on said arbor and rotatable therewith, a slidable and tiltable contact member in said circuit, and means carried by said disk or plate for sliding and tilting said contact member during rotation of the hour hand arbor.

2. The herein described improvement in program clocks comprising a clock train in cluding an hour hand arbor, an electric signal circuit, a disk or plate rigidly secured to said arbor, pins projecting from one face of said disk or plate at predetermined intervals of time, and a circuit closing means 1n said circuit and operated by said pins, said circuit closing means including a slidable and tiltable weight controlled arm member, and a contact member adapted to be engaged by said arm, and to be freed therefrom by the tilting of said arm. 7

3. In a program clock mechanism comprising a clock train, an electric signal circuit, and an hour hand arbor, the combination of an annular plate rigidly mounted on said arbor, pins projecting from one face of said plate, a circuit closing lever actuated by said pins, and a tension device engaging said plate to take up slack therein, said tension device having rubbing contact with the face of said plate.

4. In a program clock device, in combination, a clock train and an electric signal circuit, said clock train including an hour hand arbor, an annular plate rigidly secured to said arbor and rotating therewith, pins projecting from one face of said plate, a spring contact finger engaging the periphery of said plate, a circuit closing lever mounted to have a swinging and sliding movement adjacent to the said plate, said lever including a relatively long arm member, an obliquely slotted fulcrum member, and an obliquely disposed short arm member lying in the path of the pins of said plate, a resilient contact member engaging the long arm of said lever, said resilient contact member being in the said electric circuit, and means connecting the free end of the long arm of the lever with the inside of the clock casing and holding the lever in normal position.

5. In a program clock as herein described comprising a clock train, and an electric signal circuit, said train including an hour hand arbor, a disk or plate adjustably carried on said arbor and adapted to be integrally connected thereto and rotatable therewith, a series of trip pins projecting perpendicularly from one face of said disk, a bent lever mounted in the path of said pins, and

adapted to have a sliding and swinging,

movement, and a spring controlled contact plate in the circuit, normally in contact with said lever, and adjustable means for maintaining the lever in normal position.

EDWIN ELMORE JACOBS. 

